Choices
by TouchofPixieDust
Summary: In everyone's life there are choices that you make that will affect your entire future. Three choices will change everything.
1. Kikyo's Choice

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Choices

Kikyo's Choice

Choices.

She never had choices before, not really.

It was strange that it was only in death that she was able to make choices for herself. Selfish choices for her own happiness. Of course, happiness was not a concept she was well acquainted with. After a lifetime devoted to protecting a jewel, she had not been given a chance to find her own happiness. In death all she had left was a need for revenge. It was the only thing that kept her clay body mobile, what kept her alive.

But she had choices now.

She took the apple from the vendor, an unsuspecting soul who did not realize that giving the miko a choice between the apple or the plum was a life changing decision.

What did she want?

What did SHE really want?

It was more than just choosing a fruit, though. It was a moment when she realized that she had choices now that she was freed from her role as the jewel's protector. Yes, she was still driven by hatred and revenge, but… but she did not have to be. What if she found a new reason to exist? What if she had a different path to follow?

She could choose what she wanted to do with what was left of this second chance of life of hers. And she now had the choice of who she could spend it with.

There had been a rumor that had been whispered by one of her soul collectors about Inuyasha that she had not paid much attention to before. Inuyasha's demon side had been purified. It was only temporary, only while on Mount Hakurei, but it had been purified. Leaving Inuyasha human. And if there was a way to temporarily purify his demon side, then there must be a way to permanently purify it. Her own powers may be able to purify it. He would not even need the completed Shikon Jewel for this miracle.

It was time for a choice.

She would find Inuyasha and give him the opportunity to become human and stay with her. To live with her. He could be her traveling companion. Her powers were stronger and more reliable than the powers of the little girl who followed him around. She could find the jewel shards as easily, if not quicker and easier, as well.

True that she was living in a borrowed body, and living on borrowed souls, but it was still a life. Her life. And it was finally her chance to find happiness.

"Thank you," she said to the vendor.

For the first time in a very long time, Kikyo genuinely smiled. She took a bite out of the apple, taking a moment to savor the sweetness, and began to walk down the road towards the west. Towards the hanyou, Inuyasha. It was time to give him a choice. For she already made her own choice.

She chose happiness.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: Yes, I know that a lot of you hate Kikyo, but please don't flame me just because you don't like the character. Remember that flaming rarely motivates an author to do a better job. Constructive criticism, however, is appreciated.

I also realize that it is short chapter, but I read through it several times and it says just what I want it to say. (Sometimes more isn't necessarily better.)

This is part one of a three part story.

Part II: Kagome's Choice


	2. Kagome's Choice

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Choices

Kagome's Choice

"Choose, Inuyasha."

Her life had suddenly tilted and spun. She felt nauseas.

Only moments before the soul collectors had appeared and changed her life. Usually it wouldn't take long before the dog demon made lame excuses then bolted in that direction. But this time Kikyo had not waited for Inuyasha to come to her, she came to him. She had told him about how his demon side could be purified without the help of the jewel, that she would be able to do it for him. She had offered to find the jewel shards with him. She offered him a chance at a life together… with her.

All this was said right in front of her, too.

Two words and her heart was ripped from her chest. Choose, Inuyasha.

The look of pain in his eyes when he looked at her with those expressive golden eyes nearly took her breath away. Kikyo was forcing him to choose, right then and there. But Kagome wasn't going to pressure or guilt him into choosing her. She wanted to. Boy oh boy did she want to. She wanted to scream and shout and beg and plead, anything that would make him choose her. But… the pain in his eyes… she just couldn't add to it. So she was going to let him make his own choice in the most painless way possible.

To do that, she would have to leave, if only for a short while. It was too cruel to try and make him choose while they were both there in front of him. So she does the only thing she could do.

"SIT!"

"Gah!"

"SitsitsitsitsitSIT!"

"Kaagomeee…"

Her heart was thundering in her chest. It was time for a choice of her own. Stay and fight for him? Perhaps even literally. Could she defeat Kikyo if it came to that? Would Inuyasha ever forgive her if she did? Or she could run away and give him the space to decide on his own.

It was the right thing to do, she was certain of it. She screams out one more 'sit' at the top of her lungs, knowing Inuyasha would be quite immobile. Then she called for Kirara.

"I love you, Inuyasha," she told his almost unconscious body. "I want you to be happy. I'll wait for you… on my side. Whatever you decide… I… I just want you to be happy. I'll still be your friend. Always."

Then she reached down and snapped the string on his rosary.

Like the coward she called herself, she jumped onto Kirara's back and sped towards the well. She ignored his curses and screams at her to get back there (though he used more colorful language), she ignored Sango's calls and Shippo's cries. She was doing the noble thing. The right thing.

She could hear him racing after her as he tore through anything in his path, but she had a good head start and wasn't dizzy from several sits. It was hard not to glance back, to look at him one more time. But she knew if she did that then she would never be able to leave him. With a sob and one last squeeze around Kirara's neck, Kagome whispered her goodbye's and leapt from the firecat's back into the well.

Of course, that was about two weeks ago. And there was still no sign of Inuyasha. He wasn't coming for her after all.

He chose Kikyo.

But he wasn't supposed to choose Kikyo! He was supposed to choose her! He was supposed to choose the one with blood running through her veins! The one with a heart beat and a soul of her own!

Sighing heavily she sat down at the base of the God tree. It had been a very rough two weeks. The first couple of days she had done nothing but cry. Then she forced herself to go to school, with the help of her well meaning family. She was so miserable from the constant weeping and weak from her lack of appetite, that the teachers asked her mother to not send her to school while she was still in such bad shape. Well, on the positive side of things, at least the school was no longer suspicious that her illnesses were made up.

After a week of crying and wallowing in pity, Kagome got angry. Angry at Kikyo for doing this to her. Angry at Inuyasha for choosing Kikyo. Angry at the well for ever taking her to the past in the first place. She even went so far as to break a few things in her bedroom, screaming out her pain while she did so. Her mother was kind enough to not chastise her, but still made her clean it all up.

The anger didn't last very long before self doubt kicked in. It took too much energy to stay angry. Self doubt was easier and less destructive.

She wanted to hate him. She wanted to hate Kikyo. Really she did. But she couldn't. Deep in her soul she had always known that he would choose Kikyo if he ever had to make a choice. She knew it and she still let him make the choice.

Without even pleading her case.

Without putting up a fight.

WHAT THE HECK WAS THE MATTER WITH HER? What good was a little bit of nobility when it messes up her Happily Ever After?

Should she go back? Was it too late? Would she be able to stand it if he was already gone with her? Did she even have the right to mess up Inuyasha's Happily Ever After just so she would have one of her own? He was finally given the opportunity to have what he always wanted. What kind of person was she to think about messing that up? He deserved happiness.

If she loved him, then she should be able to find some joy in his happiness.

Somewhere.

Deep inside.

Deep deep inside.

Really far down deep.

Eh, maybe she'd find it eventually.

At any rate, she could at least _pretend_ to find some joy in his happiness. That was what friend's were for, right? Surely she could use her slightly rusty acting skills and pretend that her heart wasn't crushed into billions of unidentifiable miniscule pieces. She played a princess once in a junior high play, surely she could pull of this. Because above all else, Inuyasha was her friend.

And she loved him.

So she had a choice to make. Hide here in the present and nurse her broken heart locked away with a few buckets of double chocolate chunk ice cream for company. Or go back to the past pretend that her life hadn't been utterly shattered and let Inuyasha know that she would always be his friend. Hmm… Stay and wallow in despair and a gazillion calories or go and see if her spirit could possibly be destroyed anymore than it already was by seeing the man she loves in loving another woman.

Why are choices never easy?

But Kagome knew what she was going to choose. In fact, there really was nothing else she could choose. She loved him.

She chose his happiness.

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Author's Note:

I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Thank you for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated. Part I and Part II were partially written when I decided to go ahead and turn it into a three-shot. Part III is still in very very rough draft format, so it may take a little longer to get out.

Reminder: This is part two of a three part story.

Part III: Inuyasha's Choice


	3. Inuyasha's Choice

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Author's Note Part I: I re-loaded the chapter. Thank you to the sharp readers who caught that she Sat him when he no longer had the Sit necklace. I've fixed it now (I hope). I'd like to say I did it on purpose to test you... but that'd just be lying. It's more like proof that beta readers are a good idea.

Choices

Inuyasha's Choice

Seventeen days.

Seventeen long days.

Seventeen long excruciatingly horrible lousy stupid stupid STUPID days!

How DARE she lock him out!

Doesn't she know that she's vulnerable without him to protect her? What if some filthy human put his hands on her? What if she was hit by one of those 'car' things? What if right now she was hurt? Calling to him to help her? Bleeding and in pain… What if she was dead?

What if… what if she had forgotten about him?

Inuyasha continued to stare into the darkness. Without the rosary, his connection to Kagome had been lost, and so was his ability to travel to the future.

He couldn't remember ever feeling this panicked.

Or this angry!

Or confused.

What the heck had he done THIS time to tick her off? For seventeen days he mulled over their last encounter, but couldn't recall a single thing that might have set her temper off like this. Sure Kikyo came by and had that odd proposition, but he hadn't done anything to make her mad that he could think of. Certainly nothing so awful that she would purposefully break their connection and ditch him. What had he done that would cause her to leave him?

NOTHING! That's what! Not a single solitary blasted thing! How DARE she just take off like that! What was she thinking in that stupid head of hers? _When she gets back_, he swore to himself angrily as he shifted to make himself more comfortable, _I'll find a way to make her pay for the torture she's putting me through._

If… if she came back.

This wasn't the first time she'd subdued him to escape to the future. But it was the first time she ever broke the rosary. It felt… final.

Inuyasha miserably looked down at his blood caked hands. That fear that she was lost to him forever had him spend days clawing at the ground and stone, trying to tear his way through the bottom of the well. His hands had been torn from the frantic clawing, a couple of claws had broken off and splintered, but time and a wonderful healing ability had them looking as good as new. He would liked to have gone to wash his hands, but that would have meant leaving the well.

And that just wasn't happening.

Not until Kagome came back.

And she would. She had to. She promised! And if she didn't… well… he would just have to keep clawing away at the well. Eventually it would let him through.

He kicked at a clump of dug up dirt and tilted his head back tiredly, looking up at the sky from his seat at the bottom of the well. Sango and Miroku had quit coming by to coax him out of the well days ago. All it got them was a bit of swearing and clods of dirt thrown up at them. Shippo would still come by every day though. Some days he stayed and chewed the dog demon out for all his transgressions against the girl. Some days he begged Inuyasha to bring her back. And some days he just sat up in the well staring glumly down.

What had he done?

His eyes began to droop a little. Seventeen days was a long time to go without sleep, even for one as strong as a hanyou. Out of all the things that could have killed him, Inuyasha almost found it amusing that his demise was going to be caused by lack of sleep. When he first saw the glow of blue he thought he had fallen asleep.

Then her scent hit him.

Kagome!

Before the girl had completely materialized, Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. She gasped, startled by the unexpected action. Too much emotion flowed through him to speak. Threatening to drown him. So he did the only thing he could do.

He ran.

Of course, there was no way he was going anywhere without Kagome. Not anymore. So as he crouched on what was left of the mangled floor of the well, Inuyasha grasped her other wrist, bringing both to his shoulders as he leapt before she even draw a breath to say a single word. He heard her squeal as he became airborne, ignoring her protests and the fox kit's cries. As they began to descend, he reached around and pulled her right leg around his waist, she brought the other one up on her own. Smart girl.

Satisfied that he had a good grip on her, Inuyasha began to run. And leap. And fly. He sprang from trees and boulders, going miles without touching the floor of the forest.

He was so angry.

So furious.

So incredibly relieved.

He kept running until he had a better grip on his emotions. He was worried that if he stopped he might do something stupid. Or say something stupid. Or she would, then they'd fight. Well, they were going to fight, that was just a given. But he couldn't handle it right then. He was being overwhelmed. He needed time.

She was back!

Thank all the gods above… she was back…

Eventually he came to a cliff and there was no where else to run. With shaking hands he set Kagome on her feet. Slowly he let his hands drop from her shoulders and he took a step back. Anger and Relief fought for dominance.

"Inuyasha…."

"You lied to me." Anger won.

"What?"

"You lied!"

He glared at the girl, eyes narrowing as he took in her appearance. She was thinner and more tired looking than he had ever seen her. Rage coursed through his veins as he looked at her. She appeared so frail. Like she wouldn't be able to protect herself from any demon, even one as pathetic as Myoga! She kept him from her when she needed his protection the most! What was she thinking?

"I didn't lie!"

The adrenaline in his system fanned the flames of his already foul temper. "You did! Why didn't you come back?"

"Why didn't you come get me?"

"Because," he snarled as he thumped his chest where his beads used to hang, "You said you'd stay but you didn't! You took away the beads! You LOCKED ME OUT!"

Kagome was speechless, her mouth forming and "O" and her hands moved from on her hips to hang limply at her sides. Then she cringed guiltily. "I didn't think about that."

"No. You didn't think, did you Kagome?"

She glared back at him with her hands clenching into fists. "I thought I was doing you a favor!"

"Favor?" He barked out a few of his favorite swear words. "Some favor! Do have any idea how… how annoying the others are when you aren't around? And everyone blames ME that you abandoned us!"

She cringed again and her anger faded. Nervously she played with the hem of her skirt with her fingers. He really wished she wouldn't do that, it was distracting. And right now he wanted to stay angry and yell. "I didn't abandon you guys. I was coming back. I WAS," she insisted at his doubtful look. "I… I just thought I'd give you… um.. time…"

"Time? Time for what?"

She didn't look at him at all. Instead she sat down at the edge of the cliff and looked down at the water below. It gave Inuyasha a little peace of mind that she didn't look scared, that she wasn't worried about falling to her death. Or being pushed. At least she still trusted him.

"Time to make your choice." She looked up at him with sad, innocent eyes. "Without any interference."

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and studied her. Sometimes that girl just made no sense at all. He puffed out a breath and sat down beside her, allowing himself to take comfort in her scent and her warmth. His anger had abandoned him.

"What are you talking about?"

She looked at him confused, though he didn't know what SHE had to be confused about.

"To choose." He looked at her blankly, so she tried again. "If you want to be human. To be with Kikyo."

The anger began to build back up.

"To choose?" he was two seconds away from baring his teeth at her. "Choose between you and Kikyo? THAT's why you left?"

Her eyes were downcast and she played with a lock of hair over her shoulder. "It was a choice you didn't have before. And you do now."

He covered his eyes and tried to get his temper under control. Usually he wouldn't worry about what words came out of his mouth, life was much easier saying what was on his mind without having to make it all confusing and fancy. But obviously Kagome was just too dense to get things. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation. In fact, he was hoping that she would just _get_ it so he wouldn't _have_ to talk about it. How could someone be so smart and be so stupid? He had no choice now but to be blunt.

"There was never any choice, Kagome."

He heard her sniff and saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes. _Just great,_ he mumbled to himself. _She better not cry._ This was hard enough without her using the tears on him. It was an unfair battle tactic!

"I know," she whispered.

He frowned. She wasn't supposed to sound so sorrowful. For one panicked moment he was afraid that she was rejecting him. He had always assumed that she loved him. After all, she threw herself in front of an arrow for him. And he couldn't forget that kiss she gave him. It had to have meant the same thing to her as it did to him. Surely he hadn't misread her. Had he?

"Isn't it what you wanted, too?" he asked softly.

"I just want you to be happy."

She turned and looked at him, her eyes shimmering. He could read the love there easily, but was still confused as to why she sounded so sad. "I am happy."

She sniffled, turning her head so he wouldn't see her wipe her tears. Yeah, like THAT was going to fool him. "Are you leaving us soon?

"Huh?"

Inuyasha watched as her eyes turned to the sky, searching for something. Then it hit him. Kagome didn't know at all. She STILL didn't get it! How could she possibly not know? Why couldn't this be easy? Why couldn't she just KNOW what he was saying without him having to actually SAY it?

"You promised to stay by my side," he reminded her, summoning up all his courage to look her in the eye. At her nod he continued. "And I swore to protect you with my life."

She nodded again, but her look was still blank. He sighed miserably and stretched a kink out of his shoulder. If she really didn't have a clue, then these next few minutes just might send her packing for good. Or she might stay and things would change. With a groan he realized that this was why things hadn't changed the way that they should have. It was all because Kagome didn't know anything.

Suddenly he was nervous. He didn't know what to say or how to explain it. He had counted on the miko being bright enough to figure things out.

"We're mates, Kagome," he blurted out.

"We're what?"

Inuyasha briefly thought about scooting farther away. Out of slugging distance. He cringed a bit as he admitted, "There was never a choice to make. We're already mates."

She was silent, but at least she was looking at him. He decided that he would take that as a good sign.

"Kind of like being married."

"…."

"But, well, more permanent."

"…."

"I was gonna tell you…"

"…"

"Soon. I was." The silence was killing him. But he was a wee bit worried that it was the quiet before the storm. Sometimes he really hated it when he was right.

"We're mates and you never told me?"

"It… uh... didn't come up."

"It didn't come up?" Her aura got that scary glow. "Being married to you and not knowing it just didn't come up?"

"Well, not really marriage… but sorta…" He began scooting away.

"What? How? What? You. Married???" She jumped to her feet.

Inuyasha glanced around for a good escape route. Warily he stood up and moved farther away from the edge of the cliff. He was pretty sure he'd survive the fall, but didn't really want to test out the theory. Kagome's aura was making the air around them crackle and snap as some invisible wind caused her hair to whip around her face. Shippo was right, Kagome really could be scary sometimes.

"We made the vows," he tried to explain.

"WHAT? WHEN?"

He stopped moving and glared at her. Crossing his arms, he tucked his hands into the arms of his robe to hide how tightly his fists were closed. She made the vows to bind them and didn't know it? "You promised to stay by my side always and I promised to protect you always. We made the vows."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I… thought he knew… or figured it out." His heart stopped racing and settled down to a normal beat as her eyes softened. It looked he would live to see another day. "I thought you were vowing to stay by my side forever. As my partner. My… mate."

Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He let out a relieved breath and wrapped his own arms around her, one hand at the back of her head, holding it gently over his heart.

"And I swore to protect you with my life. Because… because you are my life."

"It's permanent?"

He dropped his head down to touch hers with his chin. "Yes!" He thought for a moment. He debated on whether or not to tell her the rest. But so far the truth seemed to be working for him, so he decided to go for it. "No. Not yet. Er... see, we...well, we haven't really completed the um… you know… the thing."

"Thing?" She moved back just enough so that she could glance up at him, eyes sparkling in amusement. He couldn't help but blush.

"Yeah. Um… completing… It."

She cocked her head to the side in imitation of him, and gave him her own set of puppy dog eyes. "I don't understand, Inuyasha," though by the way she bit on her bottom lip to keep from laughing made him doubt that statement. "Complete it how?"

"Uh… maybe Myoga can explain it bet… no, never mind. Maybe Sango. Or Kaede. Oh just figure it out already!" He knew his cheeks were heating up, so he pivoted on his heel and faced away from Kagome. "We don't have to complete it now. Just… whenever you're ready."

He felt her behind him, with her face pressed gently on his back.

"Do the others know?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Feh. That bunch of idiots? If you couldn't figure it out, there is no way they could have." He turned to her, slightly annoyed. "Kouga knows, though. He tries to steal you from me since we haven't… uh… haven't…"

"Completed it?"

Inuyasha nodded, then made loud speculations about the wolf demon's parentage. "He won't back off 'till courtship is completed."

Her grin caught him off guard. "You've been courting me?"

"Well… yeah." It sunk in, depressing him. "You mean you didn't even KNOW!?"

"So, it's not permanent yet since it hasn't been… _completed_."

Inuyasha just knew softened her voice and purred out that last word just to make him uncomfortable. His blood froze in his veins when he realized what she had just asked. Was it possible that she didn't want it to be permanent?

"Do you want to back out?"

Merrily she shook her head. "No. But it would have been nice to have been asked."

"Feh." She didn't say no. He took her hand and began walking away from the cliff and in the direction of Kaede's village. They would walk for awhile, then he'd carry her again. Though maybe… maybe she would want to camp out, just the two of them. "C'mon Kagome. Let's go home. Maybe Kaede can make YOU a sit necklace so you can't go taking off like that again."

She laughed. "You don't have the magic to make it work. But nice try"

He cursed silently at her answer. He had hoped it would work. Oh well, he would just get Kaede to make another rosary for Kagome to spell him. It irritated him that he wouldn't get a Sit necklace for her, but he hadn't really expected it. He tensed as he felt Kagome slip her hand from his and he stopped.

"You haven't asked yet, Inuyasha."

"What?"

She stood patiently. "Ask."

"Are you serious? But you said yes." Well, maybe not yes, but she didn't say no, which was the same as saying yes.

"Ask."

He grumbled a bit. Why did Kagome always have to make things so difficult? "So… you wanna?"

She laughed. "That was no proposal, Inuyasha." She began walking again with a backward wave. "I can't say yes if I don't get a proposal."

"But, Kagome!"

Suddenly she stopped cold. Then she spun around with frightening speed, her eyes flaring with burning anger. He took an involuntary step back. He had no idea that a proposal was such a big deal. He stood there as she stomped up next to him and grab him by the front of the robes.

"Do you mean to tell me that we've been mates for months?"

"Over a year," he corrected her, then wished he hadn't when she began shaking him.

"We've been mates a YEAR and you didn't tell me? I've been terrified of losing you to Kikyo for a YEAR and didn't have to be? Inuyasha…."

He braced himself for it.

"SIT!"

He flinched. It took a moment to realize that he was no longer wearing the necklace. Much as he hated being uncerimoniously yanked off his feet and splatted into the ground, he really did miss that connection to Kagome. She must have also forgotten about the command no longer working since she stormed into the trees.

He couldn't help but smile as he let her walk a distance to cool off. Just because she couldn't use the command on him didn't mean she couldn't still hurt him. Things were going to change. And for the first time in as long as he could remember. Change didn't scare him.

"Hey Kagome!" he yelled. "Wait up!"

For Inuyasha there never really was a choice at all.

He chose long ago.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note Part II:

This is part three of a three part story. I'm uncertain if I plan on writing an epilogue or not.

I hope you guys enjoyed the story!


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Choices

Epilogue

He kissed her.

It was so sweet, so loving, that it made her ache. It was the barest brush of lips, a tentative question asked without words. A whisper. The question was answered with a sigh as she raised on her toes and laced her fingers around his neck, pulling herself ever so much closer to him.

Truly it was odd to see the usually violent and brash hanyou handle her with such infinite tenderness. There was no desperate clinging. No pain or fear that caused him to hold her tight. It was soft and slow. And oh so gentle.

For seventeen days she watched him. She watched how he struggled and fought to reach Kagome. She watched his fits of anger. Of despair. Of desperate need. He had not given her an answer to her question. When Kagome ran, he followed instinctively, never once looking back. Then again, she supposed that his actions were answer enough.

"Enjoy your happiness," whispered Kikyo as she turned from the scene in the forest, her soul collectors following closely behind.

Inuyasha would marry Kagome, she was certain of that. Though marriage meant little to demons due to their own unique culture, it meant something to the girl. So he would comply, though possibly grudgingly, if not for anything else, for show. It was likely that she would make him wait to become mates until that time as well. And, of course, the half demon would wait. If the way he was kissing the girl was any indication, it was likely it would not take long for a date to be set for the very near future.

They would have children, and he would love and protect them as fiercely as he loves the girl. At long last, he would begin to live. He would find happiness.

But what about her?

She had been certain that Inuyasha was her path to happiness. The wind brought a delighted giggle to her ears. No. Inuyasha was not her path to happiness, not any more. Now that the words had been spoken and the wheels put in motion, his devotion and protectiveness would increase tremendously. She almost pitied the wolf demon who thought to lure the girl away with small gifts and pretty words. Her own dealings with the girl would change as well. It was entirely possible that the half demon would not hesitate to kill her should he feel that he was endangering his mate. Kikyo smiled, wondering just how much worse he would become once Kagome was with child.

May the heavens help the male population.

At the edge of the forest the miko came to a well worn path. Left or right? The left path lead to the mountains and the right led to the sea.

She smiled. Inuyasha may not have been her path to happiness, but the path was still there somewhere. It was time to start looking forward for her answers. It was time to decide what direction she wanted her life, what was left of it, to take.

It was time to make another choice.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: Thank you for sticking with the story and for all your great reviews. Since I several requests for an epilogue, I decided to put one up. I figure that since the story began with Kikyo that it should end with her. Thanks again!


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